CJI Chandrachud all praise for Ambedkar’s constitutional vision

Chief Justice of India Dr D.Y. Chandrachud said that Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s constitutionalism aimed at creating a robust framework of checks and balances where the Constitution would serve as a bulwark against potential abuses of power, ensuring the protection of the rights of all citizens.

The CJI was speaking at the sixth International Conference on the Unfinished Legacy of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, organised by Brandeis University. The Chief Justice spoke on the topic, “Reformation Beyond Representation: The Social Life of the Constitution in Remedying Historical Wrongs”.

He paid homage to Dr B.R. Ambedkar at Brandeis University in the USA on Sunday. The Chief Justice visited Dr Ambedkar’s bust installed in a library at Brandeis University. “Recognising these historical injustices underscores the crucial role of legal reform and the need for a just and inclusive legal system to address past wrongs and work towards a more equitable society,” the Chief Justice said.

“Dr Ambedkar’s constitutionalism aimed at creating a robust framework of checks and balances where the constitution would serve as a bulwark against potential abuses of power, ensuring the protection of the rights of all citizens,” he added.

The Chief Justice further said that reformation beyond representation entails ensuring that marginalised and underrepresented communities not only have a seat at the table but also have a meaningful voice in decision-making processes.

He further added that ‘reformation beyond representation’ extends to a deeper transformation of power dynamics, policies, and social structures.

Ronald D. Liebowitz, President of Brandeis University, in a video message, thanked the Chief Justice for visiting the campus. The Chief Justice was also felicitated with a specially engraved wooden plaque by the organisers, including Dr. Laurence Simon, a professor at Brandeis, and Dr. Sukhadeo Thorat, former UGC Chairperson. Brandeis University, founded in 1948, is named after Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis of the United States Supreme Court.